Blood Clotting hen blood vessels are cut or damaged, the loss of blood from the system must be stopped before shock and possible death occur. This is accomplished by solidification of the blood, a process called coagulation or clotting. blood clot consists of: plug of platelets enmeshed in a etwork of insoluble fibrin molecules.

Blood Clotting Initiating the Clotting Process There are two processes that can initiate clotting: • A very rapid process the so-called extrinsic pathway (upper right) and • a slower but larger intrinsic pathway (upper left).

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Blood Clotting lood is a liquid that flows within blood vessels. It is constantly in motion as the heart pumps blood through arteries to the different organs and cells of the body. The blood is propelled back to the heart in the veins. When muscles contract, they squeeze the veins and allow the blood to be pushed back to the heart. lood clotting is an important mechanism to help the body repair injured blood vessels. Blood consists of: ed blood cells containing hemoglobin that carry oxygen to cells and remove carbon dioxide, hite blood cells that fight infection, and latelets that are part of the clotting process of the body, and

Blood Clotting What are the risk factors for blood clots? The risk factors for arterial clots are those that are common to all diseases that cause narrowing of blood vessels. They include: • high blood pressure, • high cholesterol levels, • diabetes, • smoking, and • family history.

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Immune Response mmune responses begin when the body recognizes the invader as foreign. This occurs because there are molecules on foreign cells that are different from molecules on the body's cells. Molecules that start immune responses are called antigens . The body does not usually start an immune response against its own antigens because cells that recognize self-antigens are deleted or inactivated. This concept is called self-tolerance and is a key characteristic that defines immune responses.

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